Bath drain plug guide



` Feb. 3, 1959 l R. J; FlFE BATH DRAIN PLUG GUIE Fil'gd' oct. 3, 1955 INVENTOR. It?, F; FE;

BATH DRAIN PLUG GUIDE Robert E. Fife, Delphi, Ind., assigner to Stephan A. Young, Delphi, Ind.

Application October 3, 1955, Serial No. 538,060 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-199) yThis invention relates to bath Idrains and more particularly to those of the trip lever type.

Trip lever bath drains include a waste T, a waste arm extending horizontally at right angles therefrom and leading to the outlet of a bath tub or the like, a waste outlet and an overflow arm leading vertically from the upper end of the T, a hollow plunger being provided, con- Swtes, .Patent trolled from a lever at the overflow head and in turn adapted to be positioned so as to close the opening in to the T to which the waste arm leads, to prevent out ow or water and alternatively to be raised to permit such One of the serious problems resulting from the above described construction, is that during operation, the plunger which is raised up and down becomes cocked or in some cases wedged in open position so as to render ineffective the lever control provided. While this may be overcome by expensive redesign which makes the drain much more costly, the present invention provides an inexpensive solution to the problem which is equally satisfactory as compared with formerly differently designed products.

rlihe foregoing being the principal object of the invention suggests that a further object is to provide a means which may be incorporated in existing and future bath drains of the trip lever type to prevent the occurrence of the cooking or malfunction as described.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for the purpose described which may be made of relatively inexpensive material, of simple shape, fool proof function, and assembly and positive action.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the specication appended hereto and shown in the Idrawing wherein:

Figure l is a view in elevation, being in section showing a trip lever bath drain with the invention hereof incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged cross sectional view fragmentary in nature showing in further detail the invention hereof.

Referring now to the drawing, the type of trip lever bath drain is shown and generally indicated at A as being mounted upon suitable bath tub shown in fragmentary portion at B, the trip lever bath drain including a waste arm 1 connected to the bath tub at the waste outlet indicated at 2 as by means of the elbow 3 leading to a waste T 4.

The waste T 4 is provided with a suitable threaded opening to which the waste arm 1 is connected in a generally conventional manner being shown in enlarged detail in Figure 2 as will be apparent.

Extending upwardly from the T 4 is the over flow arm 5 at the upper end of which is the head 6 suitably connected to the bath tub at the over ow drain portion thereof, the head 6 being equipped with an operating handle indicated at 7 mounted in a suitable plate indicated in dotted lines at 8 so as to be manipulated by the lever portion 9 of the said handle 7.

- element of relatively short length,

2,871,487 Patented Feb. VIi, v 19519 l The handle 7 includes at its inner end and within the head 6 a crank portion 10 which crank portion is connected to a lift wire 11, the lift wire 11 in turn having connection with a further lift wire 12. At the lower end of the lift wire 12 is provided a plunger or stopper member 13 of cylindrical form and thus hollow having a portion 15 to which the lower end of the lift Wire 12 is connected. The arrangement thus far described enables the raising and lowering of the plunger 13 under control of the handle 7 as will be apparent, the plunger 13 being equipped at its lower end, more clearly shown in Figure 2 with a suitable seat section 16 thereon. The seat section 16 described is in turn adapted to engage and seal the outlet portion 17 of the T 4, which outlet portion is provided with a seat`l8 for coaction with the seat portion 16 of the plunger 13.

The plunger 13 is guided by a guide portion 19 formed at the upper end of the T and adjacent the connection of the T with the overflow tube 5 previously mentioned. The connection of the over ow tube 5 with the T 4 is by means of suitable threads on the said tube 5 indicated at 20 engaging co-mating threads 21 in the upper end of the T 4. This is a generally conventional manner of connecting the respective parts, but in order to prevent the plunger 13 from becoming cocked or otherwise functioning improperly, without interfering with relatively easy upward and downward motion which is desirable to eiect the shutting off of the waste llow through the outlet 2, the invention hereof consists of a guide member indicated at 23, in this case being in the form of a tubular one end of the tubular element 23 being flared as at 24 and the other end being ared as at 25. yit will be understood that the interior diameter of the member 23 is substantially the same as or slightly greater than the exterior diameter of the plunger i3 so that with the parts in the position of Figure 2 guiding effect is provided by the sai-d member 23.

In order to maintain the member 23 in position in the desired location to perform the guiding function described, the end 24 which is iiared as described, is dared to such an extent thatthe diameter thereof is substantially equal to the external diameter of the over ow tube 5 as shown in Figure 2. With the -other end of the member 23 flared at 25 but to a `diameter fully substantially equal to or slightly less in extent than the interior diameter of the over flow tube 5, the positioning of the member 23 will be possible in only one manner, namely with the ared end 24 seated on a shoulder 26 provided in the upper end of the T d and adjacent the inner extremity of the threads so to speak.

With the guide member 23 positioned as described, the flared end seated on the shoulder 26, the tube 5 is engaged as by means of the threads Ztl previously mentioned with the threads 21 and turned to such an extent that the extremity of the tube 5 engages the flared portion 24 and thus maintains the same in precise aligned position within the tube 5. Thereafter by manipulation of the handle 7 the plunger' 13 may be moved upwardly and downwardly so as to cause the seat portion 16 thereof engage the seat 18 and thus shut olf the llow through the waste arm 1 as will be readily understood.

It will thus be seen that there is provided hereby a relatively simple, inexpensive and yet eifective guide member for the shut off plunger of a bath drain, which member movable in the guide portion mentioned, an

over-ow tube extending from the guide portion said tube being of greater diameter than the guide portion, said tube being in threaded, engagement with the T, and a tubular guide member l separater from the plunger positioned within said tube, ashoulder formed in the T adjacent the guide portion, external threads on the tube and internal threads above the shoulder in the T, the tubular guide member having a ared end said ared end being,y

interposed, between the end of the tube on which thev threads are provided and the shoulderaforesaid, Whereby the said guide member is positioned with respect to said tube, the upper end of said tubular guide member being likewise ared so that the external diameter of said flares approxin'iatelyl the inner diameter of the4 tube whereby to further assist in positioning the guide member with respect to said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES- PATENTS KARL H. AXLINE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .CERTTF'ICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 2,871,487. Ik February 3, 1959 I l Robert J. Fife It is hereby certified thatv error appears in the aboveA numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent lshould read as cor--y rected below.

- In the grant', lines 2 and 1l, and in the heading to the printed specification, line 4, name of assignee, for "Stephan A. Young", each occurrence, read Stephen A. Young Signed and sealed this 12th dayoi May 1959.

l ROBERT c. wATsoN Attesting Offier Conmissioner of Patents 

